A New Beginning for Georgia's Fourth District

When I decided to run for Congress, the pundits and journalists said I had no chance.

But all along my supporters, my family, and I had faith that the people of the 4th were ready for a fresh start. Together, we did what we were told we could not do and defeated an entrenched incumbent. I am looking forward to an earnest and vigorous race against a worthy Republican opponent this fall.

As I've traveled from one end of my district to the other, asking voters for their support, I've encountered a spirit of concern and determination in my community. There is a growing sense of vulnerability as we make our way through these uncertain times, but there is also a growing sense of purpose. Yesterday's results reflect that sense of purpose.

The people of the 4th District have made a powerful statement. Yesterday, we said with a resounding and united voice that the time for leadership is now and the time for change is now. A new era of commitment and progress is beginning in my community – and by necessity, for the state of the world leaves us no choice.
When we are presented with challenges, we are sometimes tempted by despair, isolationism and fatalism. But we have chosen hope and determination, and we are uniting to fight the good fights to come, to improve our quality of life here in the 4th District, and to do our part to mend a world that needs our love and our help.

We have stepped forward as a community, as a people, and announced that we are ready for a new direction. We have resolved to heal old wounds and welcome a new day in the 4th Congressional District.

This hasn't been the prettiest race or the friendliest race, and there are hurt feelings and damaged egos on both sides, just as there are raw, open wounds across this country after years of unprecedented partisan rancor. But it is my hope that from this night forward the people of the 4th District, the people of Georgia, and the people of this country will focus on coming together as a united community.

Partisanship is inevitable, even necessary; but the tactics that pit American against American to protect entrenched institutional interests are not just wrong, they're dangerous. We are on the brink of – or have already passed into – times of immense gravity. We've been here before and we have always put aside petty division and come together when it is most important. Our society needs that healing and that unity now more than ever.